Renowned nuclear scientist Dr M P Parameswaran, one of the key figures who worked to popularise the people’s scientific movement in the country, died in Kerala’s Thrissur on Tuesday. He was 91.
A prolific author, the former BARC scientist had played a pivotal role in several movements such as Kerala Sastra Sahitya Parishad (KSSP), Bharat Gyan Vigyan Samiti (BGVS), All India People’s Science Network (AIPSN) and the literacy movement in Kerala.
In early 2000, Parameswaran, a Communist thinker, had triggered an ideological debate in CPI(M) after he advocated the “fourth world’’ concept. As the party found his concept a deviation from the Marxist-Leninist stream, Parameswaran was expelled from the CPI (M) after being its member for three decades. In the widely debated fourth world concept, he had envisaged an alternative model of development tailoring Marxism, green movement, human rights, people’s participatory democracy and Gandhian thought. It was projected as an alternative to traditional socialist models in the wake of the fall of the USSR.
Born in Thrissur, Parameswaran obtained his engineering degree from College of Engineering in Thiruvananthapuram in 1956 and secured a PhD in nuclear engineering from Moscow Power Institute in 1965. In between, he joined BARC as a nuclear scientist and continued there until 1975, when he turned into an activist of Kerala Sastra Sahitya Parishad (KSSP). Between 1969 and 1973, he also had an innings as an assistant director at the State Institute of Languages in Kerala.
After quitting the BARC, he turned into an activist of KSSP, which was then engaged in popularising science beyond the confines of labs and classrooms, and inculcating scientific temperament among people. With the nuclear scientist at the helm, KSSP transformed into a strong people’s scientific movement.
Inspired by the success of the KSSP, Parameswaran took his mission nation-wide. He had been at the helm of the Bharat Jan Vigyan Jatha, a people’s science and scientific-literacy campaign in India, which started in 1987 following the debates over the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy. A year later, in 1988, All India People’s Science Network, a platform of 40-odd science organisations in the country, was formed. Parameswaran converted the AIPSN into a platform advocating scientific temper, rationalism and secularism.
Parameswaran believed that participatory democracy should have an educated society and hence, he deliberated on the idea of total literacy.
Working closely with the National Literacy Mission, Parameswaran, at the helm of KSSP, had been instrumental in rolling out the literacy movement in Ernakulam district, which was declared as the country’s first totally literate district in 1990. The same year, he was instrumental in the organisation of the Bharat Gyan Vigyan Jatha in support of the national literacy mission, eventually leading to pan-India literacy campaign.
In the mid-1990s, Parameswaran had given an ideological ground for decentralisation of power, which the Left in Kerala took forward. In shaping decentralised development, Parameswaran was influenced by German-born economist E F Schumacher’s work: “Small Is Beautiful. A study of economics as if people mattered.’’
With Parameswaran at its helm, the KSSP had earned widespread acclaim for activities related to generating environmental consciousness, literacy campaigns, and decentralised, micro-level planning. KSSP went on to bag the Right Livelihood Award in 1996, the UNESCO Literacy Award in 1990, the UNEP’s Global 500, and the Vriksha Mitra award.
A prolific writer, Parameswaran authored several popular science books in Malayalam and English covering a wide range of subjects such as atomic science, astronomy, mathematics, politics, social science and ecology. Among his notable works are “Fourth World’’ and “Janakeeya Sasthra Prasthanam”.
Opposition Leader and CPI (M) politburo member Pinaray Vijayan, in his condolence message, said, “Parameswaran had dedicated his life to bringing science closer to ordinary people and fostering scientific awareness and rational thinking in society. He had been a staunch advocate and campaigner of Left politics and scientific, socialist thought. His views on people’s participation in development and empowering people at the grassroots had a significant influence on Kerala’s development.”
Shaju Philip is a Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, where he leads the publication's coverage from Kerala. With over 25 years of experience in mainstream journalism, he is one of the most authoritative voices on the socio-political, religious, and developmental landscape of South India. Expertise, Experience, and Authority Decades of Regional Specialization: Shaju has spent more than two decades documenting the "Kerala Model" of development, its complex communal dynamics, and its high-stakes political environment. Key Coverage Beats: His extensive reporting portfolio includes: Political & Governance Analysis: In-depth tracking of the LDF and UDF coalitions, the growth of the BJP in the state, and the intricate workings of the Kerala administration. Crime & Investigative Journalism: Noted for his coverage of high-profile cases such as the gold smuggling probe, political killings, and the state’s counter-terrorism efforts regarding radicalization modules. Crisis Management: He has led ground-level reporting during major regional crises, including the devastating 2018 floods, the Nipah virus outbreaks, and the Covid-19 pandemic response. ... Read More
